Bulldogs Ranked No. 1 In Preseason US Rowing/CRCA National Poll

Mar 19, 2010

Yale Opens Season On Mar. 27 Against Penn &
Columbia

NEW HAVEN, Conn. – If the prognosticators are correct, the
Yale women’s crew is in for a very exciting 2010 season. The
Bulldogs are ranked first in the preseason USRowing/Collegiate
Rowing Coaches Association NCAA Division I Coaches Poll, released
on Thursday. Yale garnered 459 points and six first-place votes.
Defending NCAA champion Stanford is second followed by California,
Virginia and Brown.

“It’s an honor to be ranked No. 1 in the preseason
poll because it shows the level of respect there is for our
program,” said Yale head coach Will Porter. “But to us
the only poll that counts is the last one, and we will be working
hard every day of the season to be at our best in the end.”

This year's Division I poll has a new format as it now ranks the
top 20 teams, not just the varsity eights.

The Bulldogs return a large number of rowers from last
year’s team that finished third at the NCAA Championships.
All three Yale boats finished in the top four in the grand finals
at last year’s NCAAs. Yale and California both had 85 points,
but the Bears were awarded second place by virtue of a higher
varsity eight finish. Stanford won its first NCAA team title with
88 points.

The Bulldogs open the 2010 season on Mar. 27 against Penn and
Columbia in Philadelphia.

“We know we will be tested in the regular season, where we
face six of the top 20 teams in six weeks of racing,” Porter
said “We will find out just how good we really are.”